Identifying the problem
A RECENT daunting experience in an Irish public facility has convinced me that in spite of whatever civil rights, civil liberties and privacy concerns there may be about having a national ID card for every citizen in Ireland, it is more a breach of such civil rights, civil liberties and privacy issues to not have a nationally recognised form of identification. Without even touching on national security considerations.
On Wednesday, September 25, I went to the National Archives in Bishop Street in Dublin to continue with research on a subject which I have been studying for the past two years.
When asked for photo identity, I produced my current Public Services Card and a current National Library card. I also had an identity card from my
last employment with a local authority where I had been for 30 years. In connection with that situation I had two old Safe Pass cards which are required by law to be carried by those employed in construction work. All of which are laminated and with my name and photograph on them.
In addition I had several other items, including my old trade union card, an old identification card from the same National Archives, and a bank card, each with my name either printed, embossed or handwritten on them. All that should have proved my identity just as surely as any form of identification with my name and address on it.
However, in spite of a round trip of 160km, I was not permitted to enter the interior of the archives because I did not have anything with my current permanent address on it, except for the laminated local museum donor card that I had, and which was dismissed without even a glance by one of the gentlemen that I met in the foyer of the archives.
While speaking to an archivist from
the National Archives a few days before I travelled to Dublin from Dundalk, she suggested I should go the archives and carry out some research there, and it is possible she did advise me to take both photographic proof of identity and current permanent address, but as my memory is not always what it should be I am unable to remember if she did or did not. I was advised this information could be found on their web page on the internet but having to look up a set of rules and regulations on the internet before visiting any archives did not cross my mind. Although national ID card identification may not be perfect, it is much better than having no identification at all.
However, no amount of officially recognised forms of identification are sure guarantees of admittance or acceptance if there are other requirements such as the one I encountered at Ireland’s National Archives.